


Pie<3

by SammiB



Category: Empire (TV 2015)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Jamichael, Lucious the hater, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-02
Updated: 2016-12-02
Packaged: 2018-09-03 16:46:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8721298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SammiB/pseuds/SammiB
Summary: It's that time of the year: Yes, that day that we all look forward to sharing with our loved ones. Well, some of them.For Jamal, thanksgiving is a tough day. How do you spend the day that you should be spending with your loved ones without your loved one. Yeah, he has his family(ugh), but they're not Michael.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Amuletheart123](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amuletheart123/gifts).



> I have been trying to upload this fic for days..  
> Finally, it's up. Wrote this months ago and got back to it a few days ago.  
> I would like to dedicate this fic to Amuletheart123 for reminding me what's important; keeping the best, one true ship on Empire alive.   
> if you're reading this I'd like to let you know:  
> I am not a liar just a really great procrastinator/ I really appreciate your desire for more fics and as long as there are people like you who read, I will write.  
> Thank you  
> Enjoy.

"Mmmm" Jamal moaned as he took in the smell of something sweet and tasty that wasn't his boyfriend. With a pair of headphones on his neck he reached over the kitchen island and pulled off a roasted pecan from the pie cooling on a metal rack.

"Hey, no touching!" Michael scolded as he covered an aluminum tray of baked macaroni to add to the other 3 trays of food. "It's for the people down at the shelter."

He moved at warp speed cooling and gathering the food. His rapid movements reminded Jamal much of himself. Where he had the quick transitions of chords on a keyboard, Michael had the fast dicing of vegetables. The confidence, the joy of the tension, the ability to get lost in your work; Jamal knew those things well. Watching Michael reminded him that whether it was cooking or music, passion and love were all that mattered.

A timer went off pulling Jamal out of his head. Michael opened the oven and pulled out an identical pecan pie.

"This one is for you." Michael smiled at the pie. Jamal stared at it in both awe and curiosity.

"Bring it tonight." Jamal fell silent as his mind flooded with thoughts about Michael and the future. He saw one with him. One with a house of their own, one with both of their families at a giant table filled with food at the holidays. Jamal wanted that future, more than anything. But the reality was, it probably could never be true. And that made him bitter as hell.

"Isn't it weird that we've been going together for 5 years and you've never been over for thanksgiving dinner?" Michael looked up through hooded eyes as his concentration on he pie broke. He hummed a small mhmm as he started to wrap it in plastic. It was about time for that annual discussion that came every year during holidays.

"Why don't you bring it yourself when you come with me to dinner tonight?" Jamal bit his lip. Michael turned around to stare at him.

"No." He blatantly rejected then went back to wrapping the pie in saran wrap.

"It'll be fine. You can come. My mom probably won't even care. Rhonda's gonna be there. Hell, Laura's gonna be there. Why can't you come too?" He asked obliviously.

"Because I can name one very important person who would care if I did go."

"Babe." Jamal countered.

"Jamal." Michael countered back. He looked at the time on his phone. This 'conversation'was not looking to be a short one and he had plans.

"I got to leave in 10 minutes so if you want to fight about this now, we've got seven." Jamal nodded in a sort of 'start the clock' type of way.

"I want you to come with me." Jamal served.

"I don't want to go." Michael returned.

"Screw Luscious." Jamal cursed fittingly. Michael rolled his eyes at the sad attempt to lighten the situation.

"Its about time that you spent thanksgiving with family. You're family." Michael smiled at that.

"You're dad doesn't like me and I can't just walk up into his house, eat his food and drink his drinks and pretend like he's okay with it when he's not. _I'm_ not okay with that." He explained.

"But you should be there. Things shouldn't be like this." Jamal pouted.

"But they are so just go with it. Okay?" Michael softened and moved forward to cup his face and kiss him lightly.

Michael wasn't content with the situation either but he knew that change couldn't be forced. Especially with Jamal's dad change came about every decade or two. If only Jamal could remember that.

"If you don't come with me, I'm not gonna bring the pie." Jamal contested with a final desperate attempt. Michael sighed and went to put on his jacket. He scooped up his keys and phone.

"You know what, Jamal? Whether you bring the pie or don't, I don't care anymore." With that's he left out the door. Jamal hollered after him.

"Where are you going? I got three minutes left." Jamal quieted and turned to the opposite end of the room where the pie sat on the counter. He glared at it. Should he bring it?

* * *

Juanita opened the door and Jamal wishes her a happy thanksgiving. She did the same with a close smile and walked off to the kitchen to finish preparing for dinner. Jamal follows her.

"Hey Juanita, how come you never take thanksgiving off?" He asked out of nowhere.

"If you don't mind me asking."He added after a beat.

"My husband died, my kids grew up, moved and started families of the own. They invite me but... I always use work as an excuse to get out of it."

"Why? They're your family." Jamal asked with knitted eyebrows.

"I feel like an outsider among my own kin. They're set with the kids and close by grandparents. At least here I'm needed. I like knowing that if I'm not here then you Lyons would probably not have a thing to eat. Your father, he needs me."

Jamal could understand how she felt and hearing how luscious needing her made her feel important Jamal could understand his Michael could choose the shelter over his family.

"Could you do me a favor?" Jamal asked before he went out to the living room where 49% of his family were. The other 51% was probably serving slices of turkey to people in a hairnet at the moment.

He wore a hallmark holiday card smile as he spent time with his family. An hour later they sat around the table, held hands and prayed over their meals. With Rhonda's hand in his and the other closing of the circle Jamal thought of the feeling of Michael's hand being in it, the simple presence of him next to him. They never had that and probably never would.

He ate in silence, didn't reach for seconds and camouflaged in the aura of his family. Then they moved to dessert and they took slices of pumpkin and pecan pie. Hakeem drowned his pumpkin pie in whipped cream while, Laura ate hers without any. Luscious had a slice of the pecan pie. Then another.

"Ain't you supposed to be on a diet or something?" Cookie pointed out at Luscious for up for a third slice. Luscious shook his head.

"Thanksgiving day is cheat day." They all laughed at his father.

"You've been doing well, dad. Keep up with the pie and you'll waste all the time and energy you put in burning calories this week."

Jamal just looked on while he ate his pie quietly. Of course it was pecan pie. Rhonda slid over and nudged him on the shoulder.

"You're awful quiet today." Jamal looked down at his plate. Jamal could hear his dad muttering about how the pie taste different than before.

"Just full." He lied looking away from the single pecan on his plate. In a way that pecan was both Michael and himself. Without Michael Jamal would have been alone and on his own. He had cured him of loneliness. Brought him company, understanding, and love of himself and others. But Michael was still that pecan, alone but not, and it pained Jamal to think about wanting to give 100% when he could only give 80%. He was sick of it.

"What's Michael doing today?" she asked and practically set it off. "With family?"

"No, he's serving food down at a local shelter." Rhonda nodded. Jamal could feel his temper flare. Luscious looked to Juanita and asks about whether there was a change in her pecan pie recipe. She tells him that Jamal had brought it luscious is pulled to notice Jamal and the beginning of his protest.

"Because you see, he doesn't have a lot of family. His mom died when he was 15, Dad went AWOL and his little sister lives in Texas with their aunt. So he basically has no one, except me, but we celebrate separately because he can't come here." By then he could only hear one voice, his own. All eyes were on him.

"Hey, I let you do whatever you want with that boy outside. You're not bringing that into my house ."

"You _let me_? I don't need your permission to do anything."

"Yes. I. Let. You. Because if you want, he can easily be my problem instead of you." He could easily handle the threats to his life but not the ones to Michael's. He was too kind, too precious, too everything to be caught up in luscious drama. Jamal knew that the only way to solve this was to stand down because Luscious was the type to follow through on his threats.

"I'm outta here. Jamal stood and started for the front door.

"Jamal!" Cookie called out after him.

"Hope you guys liked the pie my beautifully, kind boyfriend made." He couldn't miss the opportunity to see the look on his father's face. Man, was it worth it. Jamal smiled at how luscious looked at the more than half eaten pie on his plate. His eyebrows knitted together, his eyes zooming in to inspect every inch of the pie. Although Jamal wasn't happy, that satisfied him a little bit.

"For one night, can you not be an asshole?" He heard cookie ask his father as he walked away.

* * *

 

"Goodnight guys, get home safe." Michael bid farewell to his coworkers and newly made friends.

"You too! Happy thanksgiving!" They said back to him.

"You too!" Michael replied back before turning to head home. He sighed as he walked, the night was successful but also he thought about what was waiting for him home. Another argument?

Right there,at that moment, Michael noticed the silhouette of his boyfriend sitting on a curb. Jamal nodded to his boyfriend and Michael scratched his eyebrow as he approached him.

"Hey," Michael said as he lowered himself to sit next to Jamal on the the sidewalk.

"Hey," Jamal said back.

Silence became their conversation as cars passed on the street. Michael glanced from the corner of his eyes to look at Jamal. Jamal snuck the same looks at him. It was awkward. More than awkward, uncomfortable. Jamal sought to put an end to it.

"So...how did it go?" He asked.

"Great!" Michael responded although not wanting to oversell it. Awkwardness took up a beat of silence and now it was Michael's turn to extinguish it.

"How did it go with you?" He asked this time.

"Expected." Jamal responded. More silence.

"Everyone liked the pie."

"Great. That makes me feel better." Jamal nodded. At this point the conversation was dangerously discomforting. They both felt it and finally they both sought to get rid of it.

"Jamal,"

"Baby," they both spoke at the same time. Both men smiled.

"You first," Michael laughed.

"I'm sorry. It was stupid of me to think that things could change. I'm sorry for almost bringing you into a screwed up situation." Michael nodded in understanding.

"What about you? What did you wanna say?" Jamal asked now that things were clear. Michael shook his head.

"Nothing." Michael smirked.

"Nothing?" Jamal laughed with him.

"Yeah. I was probably gonna say something that streamlined into you apologizing."

"Wow." Michael rested his head on Jamal's shoulder while he sighed playfully.

"I got it." Michel leaned up and spoke.

"What?" Jamal waited in anticipation.

"I'm sorry that your family is fucked up, even though I don't have any control over that."

"Thanks." Jamal said halfheartedly.

Michael watched Jamal's expression. It really did suck that his family wasn't as open as he wanted them to be. If only there was something he could do....

Jamal turned to Michael and saw the devilish grin grow on his face.

"What?" Michael didn't answer and opened the plastic bag he got from the shelter. He pulled out a plastic container with a slice of pie topped with whipped cream.

"Do you want some pie?" Michael asked. Jamal could only laugh at the absurdity.

"No." he rejected with a laugh. Still Michael did his thing opening the container and spooning up a piece with some whipped cream. He held the fork up to Jamal's mouth and he couldn't help open his mouth and welcome the taste.

"Better?" Michael asked. Sitting on a curb in the city, with a mouth full of some amazing pie, Jamal looked at his boyfriend. Definitely, this was all he needed.

He didn't say it but in his mind he had said it ten times over. Not yes, but something greater than that

_ I love you. _

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> How was it?  
> .  
> .  
> .  
>  I know it's been a while so


End file.
